TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION

A framed structure is defined as one in which all loads are carried by the frame, the
enclosing and dividing wall elements being non-load bearing.
The construction of a timber- framed wall is a rapid, clean and dry operation. Timber can be
cut and assembled with simple hand or power operated tools and once the wall is raised
into position and fixed it is ready to receive wall finishes.
Timber frame construction offers flexible planning, energy-efficient construction, economic
use of materials and a wide range of finishes. Timber frame construction, especially when
light cladding is used, is lighter than a comparable masonry construction, and in some
instances foundations can be designed to be smaller and hence less wasteful of materials.
A timber framed wall has adequate stability and strength to support the floors and roof of
small buildings.
Frame wall construction
A frame wall consists of vertical timber members called studs, framed between horizontal
members of the same section at top and bottom, the top member called a top or head plate
and the bottom as sole plate or piece.
The joints are simple butt and nailed joints and the frame is therefore non rigid and requires
bracing or board or plywood external sheathing in order to provide adequate stiffness.

Methods of Construction
There are two methods of construction:
 Balloon frame
  Platform frame

1. Platform Frame
The term platform framing is used by builders to refer to two or more storey houses that are
built one level at a time meaning each floor becomes the platform upon which the next set
of walls are built.
The system of construction employs prefabricated frames that are floor to ceiling level high
with the sole of the lower stud frame bearing on the foundation and the head of the frame
supporting first floor joists.
Walls are built in single storey sections. Once the first wall sections have been erected on
the ground floor, the first floor joists and floor coverings are fixed on top of them. This
creates a platform on which the second storey walls can be erected.
Advantages of platform frame
 Smaller pieces of wood can be used.
 Very safe to construct.
 Requires less labour. This helps to keep construction costs
 The breaks created on the studs act as natural firebreaks.
 Since builders build the next floor on top of each other, they get to work on a solid
work surface. This creates a safer working environment with better structural
integrity.

Disadvantages
 Vertical Shrinkage- since the floor is made from thick wooden layers with grains
positioned horizontally, the frame will experience vertical shrinkage when the wood
dries up. This will create stress on finished surfaces.
2. Balloon frame
In balloon framing, the studs (vertical members) extend the full height of the building
(usually two stories) from foundation plate to rafter plate as contrasted with platform
framing in which each floor is framed separately.
A balloon wall frame is fabricated as one continuous panel the height of the two floors of
small houses.
Advantages of balloon frame
 Speed of fabrication and erection.
 The continuity of the studs and face nailing of joists to studs provide rigidity to the
structure.
 Increased wind load strength.
Disadvantages
 Timber is large and hard to handle.
 Vertical hollow spaces allow for fires to travel quickly.
Materials used in framed construction
 Metals
They are solid materials that are generally hard, shiny, malleable, ductile and have good
electrical and thermal conductivity.
Structural steel components can quickly be fabricated offsite and then transported to the
construction site when needed minimising onsite labour requirements and reducing the
impact of variables that can delay a project.
Advantages
 Strength and durability- Structural steel components are lighter and stronger than
weight bearing wood or concrete products.
 Easy fabrication in different sizes- steel studs are available in a variety of sizes. They
can be customised to bear specific loads in buildings of all different types and sizes.
 Fire resistance- They are highly resistant to fire reducing the fire risk to a building
and retarding the spread of a fire should one occur.
 Pest and insect resistant- they are immune to degrading effects of burrowing insects
and mammals which can cause a problem for wooden framework unless adequately
treated.
  Moisture and weather resistant- they can have good moisture resistant properties
depending on its carbon content.
Disadvantages
 Thermal conductivity- steel is known for its high efficiency in conducting heat. Where
steel frame construction is used, insulation measures need to be put in place to
counteract thermal conductivity in steel.
 Reduced flexibility on site- the measurements of steel need to be precisely
calculated in advance because a steel fabrication is delivered to site in its final form
ready to be slotted into the building.
 Supporting structures- steel frame construction rarely work on their own. They
usually require drywall, sheathing, insulation and supplementary wooden
components to bring a building together.

 Timber
It is one of the most versatile materials used. It can be bent into its required shape,
connected to another material and much more.
Advantages
 It may be easily joined and fabricated or repaired.
 Its low self weight facilitates handling and erection.
 Security on site is less of a problem because of speedy completion.
 Prefabrication of the structure units eliminates the need for skilled carpenters as all
joints are simple nailed thus reducing costs.

Disadvantages
 Poor resistance to fire
 There will be some reduction in thermal insulation value at studs.
 Poor sound insulator.
Construction process of Timber framed Buildings
 Ground floor construction
The construction process commences at the ground floor. Here, builders provide a solid
foundation for the frame typically with masonry, concrete or a timber sole plate.
 Erection of timber frame panels
Workers erect the timber frame panels forming both external and internal walls of the
building. This step includes installing timber studs and wall panels, consequently offering
structural support to the external face of the building.
 Roof structure
Roof trusses are used to construct the roof structure, followed by roof tiles that add to the
aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, trussed rafters support larger spans, offering additional
flexibility in design.
 External cladding
Subsequently, builders add external cladding to the timber framed building. They often use
materials like brick outer leaf or others depending on the desired finish.
 Energy efficient measures
A vapour control layer is introduced along with insulation, optimising heat loss prevention
and ensuring a well insulated timber frame home.
The vapour control layer is installed on the internal face of the timber frame, normally just
behind the plasterboard.
FIXING DEVICES
Fixings are used to hold things together or to attach them to the surfaces such as walls,
floors or roofs.
Types of fixing devices
 Nails
Nails are used for joining wood, assembling ironwork to wood, fastening flooring boards,
wooden partitions e.t.c
When ordering nails you must state the quality, the length, the finish. The type e. g 25 kg
100x4 5 galvanised flat head nails.

Advantages :
 Are cheap.
 They offer greater tensile strength.
 Screws
A screw is a metal fastener with a spiral thread cut in. They provide much greater holding
power than nails.
Wood screws are used for joining wood, fastening ironwork to wood, fastening hardware
(hinges, locks, latches) to wood.
The spiral thread of the screw turns its way into the wood to become firmly embedded in
the fibres. A thread is formed in the wood and enables screws to be removed and replaced
if required.
Advantages:
 Are lightweight and easy to use.
  They can easily pass through the material without the need for pre-drilling which
greatly improves efficiency.
 Are strong and can effectively resist the deformation and distortion of wood caused
by environmental impacts.
Fitting screws
For softwood it is necessary to bore a clearance hole for the shank of the screw through the
top piece of wood.
For hardwood a clearance hole must be bored in the top piece and a pilot hole for the
thread of the screw in the bottom piece.
Countersinking will also be required for a countersunk head screw.
 Bolts
A bolt is a form of threaded fastener with an external male thread requiring a matching pre
formed female thread such as a nut.
Their purpose is to connect aligned unthreaded holes by being placed through the aligned
holes and secured with the bolts nut.
Components
 Bolt shaft
Is a cylindrical member that bears the shear forces acting on the bolt and prevents the radial
movement of the parts. It has two portions:
The shank (body)- is the unthreaded portion of a bolt located under the head.
The thread is the continuous helical ridge made on the outside of the bolt shaft. This portion
accommodates the nut and allows the bolt to be pushed in or out of the parts.
 Bolt head- is responsible for bearing the axial forces that hold the fastened
materials. They come in a variety of profiles and types.
 Nuts- is the female member of a bolted joint that contains a threaded hole. It
provides clamping force and prevents axial movement in order to hold multiple parts
together.
 Washers- is a flat, thin plate with a concentric hole at its centre. It is typically placed
under the bolt head and the nut. Its primary function is to distribute the load of the
threaded fastener over a large area.

 Connectors/ Gang plate- are light gauge metal plates used to connect
prefabricated light frame wood trusses. They are produced by punching light
gauge galvanized steel to create teeth on one side.
The teeth are embedded in and hold the wooden frame components to the plate and each
other. They are used to connect timber of the same thickness in the same plane.
to the base material is impracticable for example because it is too hard, brittle or weak.
The type of plug or device used will depend on:
 The required strength of fixing.
 The type, condition and density of the base material to receive the plug.
 Whether fixing to a solid or a hollow construction.
A plug is either made from wood or purpose made from a fibre, plastic, synthetic resins or
metal material.
Preservation of Timber
Timber for construction work should be treated in order to increase its ability to resist
fungal and insect attack. Insects break down the cellular structure of the wood and destroy
it‘s strength and appearance.
A preservative may be defined as a chemical compound that when used on or injected into
the timber makes the timber poisonous for insects and fungi without effecting the structural
properties of timber.
Some preservatives, such as creosote are used exclusively underground or in roofs where
the material will not be visible.
Application requires some care since preservatives are highly toxic and others may attack
the skin.
Qualities of good wood preservative
 They must be toxic to fungi, pests and marine organisms.
 They must be free from objectionable properties in use and handling.
 They have to possess satisfactory properties with permanence under the conditions
for which they are recommended for use.
 They should not have corrosive properties.
There are three groups of preservatives:
 The oils soluble salts
Such compounds are soluble only in oils. The most commonly used wood preservative, coal
tar creosote oil, belongs to this category. It is obtained by destructive distillation of coal.
Qualities of this preservative are:
 Has high degree of permanence.
 It penetrates quickly and easily into the wood tissue.
 It is highly destructive for fungi.

 The water soluble salts

Such salts make an easy solution with water.
Their advantage is they can be easily dissolved and used but the disadvantage is they can be
easily washed away if the timber happens to be in moist condition.
 Volatile base salts
Are those which make solutions with substances like petroleum.
Methods of timber preservation
Preservatives are used by different methods depending upon the extent of preservation
required.
 Brush application- In this method timber is given one or two coats of the
preservative with the help of a brush.
This is used for painting coal tar at the ends of beams or base of poles and posts that go to
the ground with coal tar. The method is quite cheap and at the same time it is not very
effective.
 Dipping application- The timber part to be treated is made to dip in the
preservative and immersed in it for various periods from a few hours to few days.
It is used when organic preservative solvents are to be applied.
 Open tank application- In this method the timber is kept immersed in a suitable
metallic tank of proper size till a proper saturation is obtained.
The tank containing the timber is then heated about 70-80 degrees for several hours this
ensures deeper penetration of the preservative into the timber.
After this the timber is allowed to cool within the tank in the presence of preservative. In
this case the timber may actually suck a lot of preservative and ensure complete
penetration.
The treatment has a disadvantage that it increases the weight of the treated timber
considerably.
 The pressure process- This is the best and commonly applied method for
preserving costly timber varieties.
It involves the passage of the preservative into the timber under pressure and is achieved in
either of the two processes:
 The full cell process- The timber is placed in a large steel cylinder acting as a pressure
vessel. Vacuum is first created and maintained for about one hour or more.
After this coal tar creosote oil or any other suitable preservative preheated to a specified
temperature is forced into the cylinder under sufficient pressure.
This is continued till the required quantity of the preservative has been introduced into the
timber. Thereafter pressure is reduced and after giving some vacuum timber is taken out.
  The empty cell method- in this method no vacuum is created in the beginning.
Instead timber placed in the pressure vessel is subjected to initial pressure while
preservative is being introduced into the cylinder.
Once the vessel is full of preservative sufficient pressure is applied which forces the
preservative from the tank into the timber. After this pressure is released.
This causes the air compressed in the cells of the timber to come out along with any
excessive preservative.
The main advantage of pressure processes is that they ensure a proper and deeper
penetration of preservative into the timber in a controlled manner.
The main disadvantage is that these are as yet costly processes involving use of pressure
vessels and require skilled operators for better results.
 Charring- it is a common method used for preserving timber poles and posts that
are to be dug to the ground. The outer part in the lower ends is charred
(incompletely burnt) before insertion into the ground.
The charcoal layer so formed is an easy safeguard against attacks by fungi or termites (as
these organisms do not find any food in charcoal)
 Termite shields- The base of major timber columns may be preserved against
organic attack by constructing suitable barrier between the timber and the
ground. These barriers of proper design and shape are called termite shields.

KNEC questions
1. a) List two methods used in timber frame construction.
b) State four advantages of timber frame construction over other structures.
(5 Marks)
2. State four methods used in timber treatment. (4 Marks)
3. State four qualities of a good wood preservative. (4 Marks)
4. a) Outline two devices used for fixing timber frame construction members.
b) Explain one method of timber frame construction. (5 Marks)
5. Outline two factors that influence the holding power of nails. (3 Marks)
6. Define the following terms as used in timber frame construction:
i. Stub tenon
ii. Chamfer (4 Marks)
7. Illustrate two methods used in treating the edges of a block board when used as a
table top. (6 Marks)
8. a) Define timber frame construction.
b) Outline the two types of framed construction. (6 Marks)
9. Differentiate between balloon and platform construction. (4 Marks)
10. Outline four requirements for a timber preservative. (6 Marks)